News 17:00

BULLETIN 10 June 5 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# SASSA intensifies its efforts to reduce queues nationwide
# Witness I denies his role in legitimising the police operation in the Aeroton drug bust
# And, the DA is disappointed as the acting minister of Police ignores pleas to address a lack of rape kits

# The South African Social Security Agency is intensifying efforts to improve service delivery and reduce long queues at local offices nationwide. The agency has launched a national training programme to standardise its Queue Management System as part of its 2025–2030 strategic plan. SASSA spokesperson Andile Tshona says the initiative aims to reduce waiting times and ease congestion. He says it will improve efficiency through digital tools and better prioritisation:

# Witness I has told the Madlanga Commission that comments made during a meeting with a Crime Intelligence operative and businessman Brown Mogotsi in Sandton was not an admission of wrongdoing. He suspected the meeting was being secretly recorded and played along. He alleges the pair tried to persuade him to change his statement regarding major general Feroz Khan on a disciplinary hearing, but no payment was ever made:

# The DA has condemned acting Police minister, Firoz Cachalia, for failing to address the lack of rape kits during the tabling of his budget. Logistics and supply chain failures are reportedly hampering the availability of kits at police stations and specialised units. Spokesperson Nicholas Gotsell says not having a rape kit when a victim arrives at a police station or Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences unit means evidence cannot be collected:

# Namibia’s Chamber of Mines says policy certainty remains critical for attracting and retaining investment in the mining sector. The government is considering a policy which will require 51-percent local ownership in new mining ventures. The chamber’s CEO, Fabian Shaanika, says potential investors need clear and predictable regulations when making decisions. He adds the industry’s main concern is not necessarily the ownership threshold itself, but the uncertainty created by unresolved policy discussions:

 # Soccer: Brazilian star Neymar feels like a kid about playing in his fourth and final World Cup. The country’s all-time record scorer, with 79 goals in 128 matches, says he is recovering well from a nagging calf injury. He played his first tournament at home in 2014 and again in Russia in 2018 and Qatar in 2022. The 34-year-old is set to miss the first match against Morocco in New Jersey in the US on Saturday. The five-time champion plays Haiti and Scotland in their other Group C matches.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-56-cents against the rand and the euro at 19-rand-13-cents. One British pound costs 22-rand-17-cents and Bitcoin trades at 61-thousand-582-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-145-dollars-92-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 91-dollars-28-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….